What Startups Should Look for in a Project Management System

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Owners or managers of startup companies who are thinking of investing in a project management system need to know more than just the advantages of having one. Choosing the right system is not just about knowing that there will be possible benefits.

• Suitability

One of the most important factors that should be taken into account is suitability. It’s important to analyze what the needs of the business or organization are to find the right system to use. While it is true that most systems come with similar sets of features and functions, there are still those that can be distinguished from others because of their suitability to specific needs and purposes. Some, for instance, may be more suited for internal management while others are designed to facilitate extensive collaboration with external parties such as clients and vendors.

This is not to say, however, that systems designed to be flexible or versatile are not worth considering. Suitability does not necessarily mean specialization. As long as project management software comes with a compelling set of functions and features that are suitable for your business needs, they should be worth considering. On the other hand, being suitable to the size of a business or organization is no longer a major concern. Nowadays, especially with the advent of cloud computing, scalability is already an expected as a standard attribute. Startups are expected to make sure that the options they are considering are scalable like using cloud based purchase order software.

• Data Security and Backup

Project management may not sound as serious or critical financial transactions management but it is still something very important. As such, it should also be highly secure and the data stored should be protected from unauthorized access and deletion. You should choose a software with a proven track record when it comes to securing data. Information transmitted online through the project management software you choose, especially when used together with integrable applications, should be encrypted.

• Scalability

Scalability in software or IT in general is the attribute of being adaptable to the growing or (rarely) shrinking size of an organization’s operations and needs. A good software for project management should be easy to scale up or down to suit the changing needs. Startup managers or owners should be mindful of this since a startup is expected to grow. It’s important to choose a system that can handle growing. Over time, a startup is expected to add more transactions, processes, or personnel. There should be no limitations as to how many transactions or processes can be added. Similarly, it does not make sense if the software you use has too many fields or preconfigured procedures that your organization or team does not require yet. You should have the option to scale things up or down according to what you need. Moreover, it is a big advantage to be able to integrate with other software or tools, especially those that are already being used by an organization.

• Integrated Platform

No, this does not contradict #1 or the “Suitability” factor. Having an integrated platform is about being able to pool in different useful tools to ensure effective and efficient project management. These tools may already be built-in within the software or added later on as add-ons or extensions depending on the need. A good example for an integrated project management software would be something like WorkflowMax, which already comes with or can be expanded to have tools for handling client management, job management, lead management, time tracking, reporting, job costing, purchase order processing, invoicing, and document management. Being able to integrate with other accounting tools like Xero, CRM software, presentation creation tools, and various other relevant solutions is always desirable in a project management software.

• Intuitiveness

A project management platform must be easy to use. It should be intuitive or easy to figure out for the intended users. A software will only be as good as the people using it. If your team is not comfortable or is finding it hard to adapt to the software or system you chose, there will be an adverse impact on productivity and efficiency. Before deciding on what software to get, you may want to consult with your team or the intended users. A software or system can be considered easy to use if it sports a familiar user interface. A good benchmark for a “familiar interface” is the user interface being used by cloud or web-based applications (applications run through web browsers like the items listed on this category of Dmoz).

• Cloud-based/Cloud Support or Compatibility

A cloud-based or cloud compatible platform for project management allows you to have the convenience of being able to access the software from anywhere through the Internet. It is also highly advantageous because you no longer have to install the software every time you use a different computer. Moreover, you can enjoy the benefit of having automatic data backups on the cloud so every time new ata is inputted into and processed by the system, you can be assured that it is already saved. The likelihood of losing such data is close to nil.

In fact, new software solutions are entirely hosted in the cloud because it’s more easily accessible and far more secure. For example, companies that make relationship software, like ReadyCloud’s popular ecommerce CRM, feature secure cloud hosting for all your ecommerce data and feature great back office tools, like Tasks, that let you assign, manage and sort tasks from your employees, complete with comments and file attachments.

• Good Vendor or Community Support

It is generally recommended to choose a software that is being used by more users since this would entail good community support. If problems are encountered, many get to encounter it so many raise the issue and usually get quick feedback from the vendor. Moreover, it’s good to belong to a big community of users since the software gets to be used more often so almost all possibilities for errors and issues are quickly discovered and addressed.

• Free Trial Period with Access to All Features

Always try before you buy but avoid spending money just to try something. As such, it is always preferable if the software you consider comes with a free trial period without limitations. If there are limitations, they should only pertain to the number of processes or users, not the access to the features or functions. The trial should allow you to thoroughly examine all aspects of the software including its responsiveness, intuitiveness, and compatibility with the hardware and software you already have. A trial period of two weeks to a month should give you enough time to properly evaluate if the software is worth getting or not.

A project management system or software is not something that should be thought of as a serious investment even among startup businesses and small organizations. It’s not advisable to simply use some temporary project management system and decide to choose something better later on. Continuity and consistency in a growing business are very important. It is not a good habit randomly choosing and switching business tools or platforms. A startup should have a solid long-term plan; it’s advisable to include the choice of project management software or system in this plan.